Peter's attempt to go to Jesus on the water (Matt. 14:22-33) reminds me of the cartoon character Wile E. Coyote chasing the roadrunner off the cliff.

The roadrunner always makes it across the gap, but every time the coyote, halfway across, becomes aware that there's nothing beneath his feet, he stops cold, then plummets down.

Peter's hesitation is traditionally interpreted as a lack of faith. Another way to interpret the story is that Peter is once again playing the role of Satan, to put Jesus to the test. Recall Peter's words to Jesus: "If it is you, bid me come to you."

They are practically identical to the words Satan used when he tempted Jesus: "If you are the Son of God... " (Matt. 4:1-11).

Lord, if it's you, Peter blurts out, make me do something extraordinary. Set me apart from the others. Grant me an exemption from the laws that bind ordinary people and I will believe that you are who you say you are.

Peter seems to be speaking for us. Is there anyone among us who hasn't asked God for an exemption? Please God, suspend the rules just this once and make me know that you are there. Heal me, help me, talk to me out loud, leave me no room to doubt you and I will believe.

Yes, we've all got a little bit of the devil in us, asking Jesus to prove himself for us. We want the burden to be on him, not on us. We want God to single us out for special treatment — to get extra credit for being brave, generous and faithful.

Like Wile E. Coyote, when Peter realizes that there's nothing substantial under his feet and starts to sink, then he blurts out Jesus' true identity: "Lord, save me!" Now Peter knows who Jesus is and what he is for.

Have you thought about the other disciples in the boat? They stayed put. They didn't put Jesus to the test but were willing to remain in the storm-tossed boat until Jesus got in with them, no matter how long it took.

Perhaps the real miracle in this story occurs not while Jesus and Peter are doing their stuffon the water, but when they're all together in the boat. That's when the wind ceases — "shhh" — just like that. Maybe this story shows us that great faith is that calm, unheroic but still impressive — conviction that enables us to stay in the boat (the church), even though there is a storm blowing. In good time. Christ who is the Lord of the storm as well as the Lord of the church will come.

Every generation of Christians finds themselves at one time or another in a storm tossed church. When I was first ordained 40 years ago, the issue threatening to capsize the church was racial segregation. Now the issue is human sexuality. The storm-tossed sea comes with the territory. Because Jesus Christ has ascended to reign with the Creator God of all things, both redemption and creation are linked in Jesus Christ.

However, if Jesus Christ is Lord, which is what we profess in the creed, then the church has the adventurous, and sometimes perilous, task of penetrating new areas of his Lordship, expecting surprises and new implications of the gospel which cannot be explained on any basis other than that Christ has shown us something we could not have seen on our own.

Whatever the storm that rages outside (or inside) — and we can be assured that there will always be something of a storm in every generation — let us not forget that Jesus Christ is both Lord of the storm and Lord of the church. Christ comes to us, in the boat and stretches out his arms over the battering waves and gives us his peace.

The Very Rev. John D. Payne is the Emeritus Rector of Al l Saints' Episcopal Church in Wichita Falls.